The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Yellow Yobillingsxe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Fort Myers, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with uniform plant growth habit, good vigor, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time, and good postproduction longevity.
The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary induced mutation that originated by exposing unrooted cuttings of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Yobillings, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,867, to X-ray radiation in October, 1997, in Fort Myers, Fla. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of the irradiated selection in April, 1998 in Fort Myers, Fla. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, good vigor, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time, and good postproduction longevity.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Fort Myers, Fla. in July, 1998. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Yellow Yobillings has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Yellow Yobillingsxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Yellow Yobillingsxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:
1. Uniform and upright plant habit.
2. Strong and vigorous growth habit.
3. Dark green foliage.
4. Uniform flowering response.
5. Can be grown as a disbud or as a spray-type.
6. Early flowering, eight-week response time.
7. Freely flowering.
8. Large daisy-type inflorescences that are about 11.3 cm in diameter.
9. Bright yellow-colored ray and disc florets.
10. Good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good substance and color for at least three weeks in an interior environment.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Yobillings. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Yobillings in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are slightly less vigorous and shorter than plants of the cultivar Yobillings.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have slightly smaller inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Yobillings.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have yellow-colored ray florets whereas plants of the cultivar Yobillings have white-colored ray florets.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Yellow Blush, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,455. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Yellow Blush in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are slightly more vigorous and stronger than plants of the cultivar Yellow Blush.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more upright than plants of the cultivar Yellow Blush.
3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are upright and slightly arching whereas ray florets of plants of the cultivar Yellow Blush are reflexed.